Lord Mayor of London urges more workers to return to their desks

Today, the Lord Mayor of London called on businesses to send more people back to work after it emerged that half of London’s office spaces are still unoccupied and 80 percent of UK offices have not been used. 

Big businesses have even started offering ‘goodies’ such as free breakfast and lunch as well as beer and wine at the end of the day to encourage workers to come back after the easing of lockdown restrictions failed to prompt a mass return.

Recent surveys have shown that most people want to work from home and a hybrid office. Big businesses like NatWest agree that it is no longer necessary for staff to spend five days at the office. 

These hybrid workers are often called ‘TWaTs’ because they commute only on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Despite claims that fewer than one fifth of the workforce have returned to work despite vaccinations being available and Covid-19 deaths down from a year earlier, many have not been labeled.

Vincent Keaveny, who is also a partner at international law firm DLA Piper LLP,  will be installed as the 693rd Lord Mayor of London today, and is urging businesses to keep pushing for workers to come in.

He declared that “The City is returning to life.” For the young people of our industry, it’s important to have the skills and creativity they require.

“The office buzz is amazing. Each company has a unique perspective and I believe that every one is trying to find the right solution. We would like to see more people return to the City.

Vincent Keaveny, the Lord Mayor of London elected, stated today that employees who return to work will reap the benefits of the “buzz” of being around colleagues

New data has shown that London’s City is half as bustled as before the pandemic, and the office space in London is quieter.

A study by Orbital Insight, a California-based firm able to monitor movement of people through satellites and mobile phone data, found that the most recent data for London, the City was half full compared to before the pandemic. 

In mid-October the Square Mile was at 51% of February 2020 levels while Canary Wharf, home to HSBC and JP Morgan, was at 59%. New York’s Wall Street had a slightly higher level at 66%.

Many traders work at banks five days a weeks, but the vast majority of employees are only in there for two days.

HSBC created “refresher weeks” for workers returning to the office to help them get used to working from home.  Employees are required to book desks in advance to “internal tracking and trace” purposes. While there is no time limit, internal staff are encouraged and encouraged to return at least once a week.

Goldman Sachs recently announced that approximately 50% of its London-based staff are now back at the Plumtree Court headquarters, after social distancing was eliminated between workstations and lifts.

JPMorgan, the biggest global investment bank, stated that 40% to 40% of London-based employees came into its office.   

Workers with families are often cited as one of the reasons they stay home: being able save money at home while avoiding packed Tubes or trains, and also because it is easier to avoid paying for expensive tickets. 

Research commissioned by the South Westminster Business Alliance last month revealed that half of London office workers would be prepared to work from home less in order to help struggling businesses recover from the pandemic.

After more than a year working from home, research has revealed that many people still have a hard time getting back into the workplace. [Stock image]

KMPG had earlier in the year stated that they were keeping a flexible business model. However, a Deloitte source said that Deloitte bosses welcomed employees back to their offices but did not prescribe a number of days. 

A Goldman Sachs employee reported that the company has seen a steady rise in staff, but this isn’t full.

JP Morgan’s senior staff member stated that they were offering ‘goodies to get them back’. He told MailOnline, “The current message is they want people to work from home more than at home.

“They have said that they will provide goodies such as breakfasts and lunches in the coming weeks. It seems that flexibility is something people are looking for and they’ll be less likely to take advantage of other opportunities.

One in five employees returned to their workplaces after Freedom Day in July.  

But data suggested Britons were keener to venture back into town centres to socialise – though overall footfall still remains half that of pre-pandemic levels.

Research was called more proof of the unwillingness of many people to go back to work after a long period of being away from the workplace for over a decade.  

A summer audit of 18 UK-based companies at the beginning of Autumn revealed that more than half their workers will return to the workplace in September. Only three demanded a return by the end of September.  

Ministers were growing frustrated that the Civil Service had failed to lead the charge in bringing Britain back into the Office.

Whitehall’s official guidance on ‘work at home’ was lifted July 19, and companies were informed that they can expect and should be encouraged to return gradually over the summer.

Whitehall insiders claimed that there had been a small increase in staff at the desks. However, the number of people in the office was still quite low.  

A top female economist warns that women who work at home could endanger their career.

Catherine Mann, who is on the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee, said a hybrid form of working could open ‘two tracks’ and widen the gender gap.

According to Covid, the difficulties in accessing childcare and disruptions to schooling due to Covid are causing a disparity in men and women returning back to the workforce. These changes mean that men are more likely to return to office, but women can continue working remotely or adopting a hybrid approach.

‘Virtual platforms are way better than they were even five years ago. But the extemporaneous, spontaneity – those are hard to replicate in a virtual setting,’ she told a Financial News virtual event for women in finance.

‘There is the potential for two tracks. There’s the people who are on the virtual track and people who are on a physical track,’ she said.

‘I do worry that we will see those two tracks develop, and we will pretty much know who’s going to be on which track, unfortunately.’

According to her, being present in person can help women build careers and be known at work.

According to the Office for National Statistics, the number of people working remotely has declined since March when national restrictions were eased. In October, just 15% of those surveyed worked solely from their home.